How can we reduce soil erosion?

Soil erosion can be reduced in the following ways.

• Lands with a slope gradient of 15 – 25 per cent should not be used for cultivation. If at all the land is to be used for agriculture, terraces should carefully be made. 
• Over-grazing and shifting cultivation in many parts of India have affected the natural cover of land and given rise to extensive erosion. It should be regulated and controlled by educating villagers about the consequences
• Contour bunding, Contour terracing, regulated forestry, controlled grazing, cover cropping, mixed farming and crop rotation are some of the remedial measures which are often adopted to reduce soil erosion.
• Efforts should be made to prevent gully erosion and control their formation. Finger gullies can be eliminated by terracing. 
• In bigger gullies, the erosive velocity of water may be reduced by constructing a series of check dams. Special attention should be made to control the headward extension of gullies. This can be done by gully plugging, terracing or by planting cover vegetation. 
• In arid and semi-arid areas, efforts should be made to protect cultivable lands from encroachment by sand dunes through developing shelter belts of trees and agro-forestry. 
• Lands not suitable for cultivation should be converted into pastures for grazing. 

(Source: Ncert)

Further Reading:

• Erosional landforms
• Classification of Soil in India – Types of Soil in India